The Price of a Pool Lesson
by Sidura
Summary: Just an idea of how Dean's last day could go. Xover with Sandman


Disclaimer - Don't own anyone - Supernatural belong to Mr Kripke and The Endless to Mr Gaiman.

Just watched the All Hell Breaks Loose and this idea (good or bad as it maybe) popped into my head. What can I say I'm a sucker for crossovers.

Please let me know what you think!

* * *

"Sammy it's done, you tried but it's over, okay!" Dean said getting out of the car.

Sam shook his head, "There is still time dude. I'm not losing you."

Dean walked over to his brother, placed a hand on his shoulder, "Bro, I knew what I was doing. Just promise me you'll live a good life you hear. That's all I want now."

Sam held back the tears, "Dean, I can't…"

"Sam, I had a good run and I getting to say goodbye, it's more than Mom and Dad got. I just want to have a good last day you hear. That is the best thing I could ask for; give me that please."

Sam held back the emotions inside him as they walked into the bar, where Bobby, Jo and Ellen were waiting.

The bar was quiet, just a couple of people milling about as Dean sat down to enjoy the company of his small group of friends who had gathered to say goodbye. They had all tried even though he had told them not to, he wasn't prepared to take the risk of getting out of the deal and letting Sammy become worm food again. Dean had a bit of fun flirting with Jo and a couple of other girls in the bar, though Jo had to leave for a while, Ellen had forbid her from breaking down in front of him.

Sam was getting a bit impatient waiting for the pool table, as the various bar patrons beat a slip of a girl repeatedly.

"OH BUGGER IT!" she yelled as she lost again, yet she refused to leave the only table in the place.

Dean laughed as he saw his brother's face. He knew that all Sam wanted to do was have a couple of games before the hounds started calling.

"Look girl; you're holding the cue all wrong." Dean said as he walked round the table to her.

"Wrong? I'm doing this wrong?" she was confused, she stood up and looked up at the guy with a beer in his hand. "How many ways is there to hold this thing?"

Dean just took the cue out of her hand, "Here let me show you."

Sam walked back to the bar as he left his brother giving the girl a pool lesson.

"You OK?" Bobby asked.

Sam slugged his beer; he was biting his tongue today, just as his brother wanted.

Bobby nodded, understanding exactly how Sam felt.

The hours rolled by as they continued to get the drinks in. Dean seemed to be enjoying himself, as were the others, though if you had walked in on them you would never have thought that this was a going away party. Sam had taken over from Dean at the table, showing the girl a couple of trick shots.

"Thanks a load for this."

Sam gave her a half-hearted smile, "No problem."

"It's just I'm just fed up of getting my ass kicked at this game."

Dean raised an eyebrow as he and Bobby joined them at the table, "And you were doing so well before."

"It's all my brother's fault you know," she said, "If he hadn't got that damn table then I would be using today a lot more productively."

She looked at the faces in front of her. "Not that I'm saying meeting you guys isn't great though."

"You had other plans?" Jo asked.

"No, not really." She said a little confused on how to explain things, "I usually try and do something I haven't done before, you know. Like having a hot dog or go to a concert or things, this I can do anytime. It doesn't have to be today." She turned her attention back to the table, "It's just getting embarrassing I got beaten by a bird and a dog. A bird and a dog! They all stood there and laughed. I've got a better sense of humour than most of my brothers and sisters, but it was a bit much. So I thought I'd better do something or they'll just be telling that story for millennia to come."

Sam smiled, the first real smile of the day, "Okay then so you decided to learn how to hustle the tables then."

She shook her head, "Not hustle, but really learn how to play, even if it is just well enough not to be humiliated and my brother/sister said that a place like this would be the best place to learn."

She straightened up realising that she had not introduced herself. "I'm… Didi, by the way."

"We know, guy by the bar told us." Dean said handing the girl a drink.

She looked at it confused, before taking a sip; she coughed trying not to spit it out, "Thanks."

"Not use to beer then?" Ellen asked.

Didi took another mouthful and swilled the liquid round her mouth before swallowing, "Not really. Not like this anyway."

They looked at her confused but she put the beer down and went to rack the table up. She was going to learn this game if it took her all stinking day.

Sam tapped her on her shoulder as the others settled down to one of the tables.

"Look Didi, don't take this the wrong way but can you let me have a couple of games with Dean."

She looked at the tall man in front of her as he tried to explain, "It's just he's going somewhere tonight and I'm not going to see him for a while, just want to play a couple of games…"

"Before he goes?" she asked, to which Sam nodded.

She handed him the cue, "Sure, anyway probably a good idea if I see how this game is played properly."

"Thanks."

She sat by Jo and Ellen as they watched the Winchester brothers play a couple of games. They swapped stories with Bobby about when they were young as the sun went down.

Sam had gone off to the rest room when he heard it; the howling had started. Dean walked over to Bobby and gave the older man a hug. "It's time. Take care of things and him will you?"

Bobby nodded as Dean gave Jo and Ellen a quick hug and kiss.

* * *

He walked out of the bar into the car park skimmed his hand over the paint work of his car and took a few steps away from the Impala the howling got louder.

"Well, well, well you're not putting up a fight?" the crossroad's demon asked as she came into the light.

Dean didn't say a word, just wanting this over. The hounds moved closer and he heard one jump towards him.

"Hey!" Didi yelled as she ran out of the bar, getting in Dean's face. The hound tore into her back, trying to get to its intended target. Didi crumpled in Dean's arms as the blood flowed freely from her.

"Oh it's never happened like that before!" Didi spluttered as the life began to leave her body.

"You bitch!" Dean yelled at the figure standing before him, "It's me you wanted, not her. Christ I wasn't going to put up a fight, don't even know this kid."

"Sorry." Didi said quietly as the blood seeped onto the ground, "Just wanted to see if you wanted to play a game while Sam was in the bathroom."

Her eyes fluttered as she died.

"She shouldn't have gotten in the way." The crossroad's demon said as Dean picked up the lifeless body and started inside the bar.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm not leaving her like this. I'm making sure that she'll be taken care of. You can wait five damn minutes you hear!"

The crossroad's demon and the hounds started to follow him inside.

"Dean!" Sam yelled seeing his brother; it had taken all three of them to stop him from following his brother outside.

Dean walked over to the bar, placing the body of the girl onto it. Sam was about to bound over to his brother when the female demon appeared in the doorway.

"I told you, you can damn well wait!" Dean yelled as he closed the girl's lifeless eyes.

"We are on a schedule here, you do know that don't you?" the crossroad's demon said seductively.

"You leave him alone!" Sam yelled.

"You must be Sammy. Please to meet you." The crossroad's demon said patting one of the invisible hounds by her side.

"Sam it's OK." Dean said as he turned to face her. "Can you bring the kid back?"

The demon shook her head, "You haven't got anything left to trade."

"Look she was never part of this; you were the one that killed her." Dean pointed out.

"You don't even know her." The demon said.

"No but look it as a freebie. I'll come quietly then." Dean said with a pleading edge to his voice.

She smiled, "Oh and so I wanted your death to be glorious."

"Look you want to deal? How about me for him." Sam yelled across the room.

"No Sam, don't you dare!" Dean yelled, "You take me. Only me you hear."

"Sam." Ellen pulled at the boy's arm trying to get his attention as the crossroad's demon turned to face him.

"I don't care. Someone is dying today and that is it! I'll take either one of them." She smiled looking around the room. "And there is nothing any of you can say to change that."

The jukebox came on; playing, "_I've had the same jeans on for four days now" _by the View

"Technically, I think I have a little say in that," the voice said in the corner.

The demon swallowed and took a step back. "You?"

"Yeah me." The owner of the voice said.

I love this song. Don't you?" she asked the room. Bobby did a quick double take from the body on the bar to the girl standing by the jukebox.

"This isn't really any of your business, he did a deal. Knew what he was doing!" the crossroad's demon said back-pedalling, "So this isn't you're concern right?"

"No, not really; I actually wasn't here to stop any deals or anything, so I really can say I don't care about that." The girl looked at the grime-covered clock behind the bar, "But I had 2 hours to go."

They all looked at the clock.

The crossroad's demon looked at the girl, fearfully, "That today?"

Death nodded, "New experience for me being killed by a hell hound, but as I said I had two hours and now Didi's gone."

"But." The crossroad's demon took a step back trying to get out of the bar.

"Look I'm not the wrathful type, everyone knows it, but I have to say I'm not exactly happy about the whole getting life cut short thing." Death stilled for a second, "Guess that was the point."

"So what are you going to do?" the crossroad demon asked.

"You said someone is dying today, and they have so let's just say you've had your fun and that you're puppy dog over there, needs some obedience lessons alright." Death said calmly.

The demon swallowed, "They're expecting him!"

"What?" Jo asked.

Dean nodded he'd guessed that he would have a welcoming committee when he got to the other side. He took a step forward ready to go; still not know what Didi's spirit was doing in the corner.

"That isn't my problem." Death said taking a couple of steps forward. "You screwed up. You explain it to them."

The crossroad's demon shook her head "They won't understand."

Death shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you, but do you really want to test me on this right now?"

The hounds whimpered as the Endless stood in front of them.

The demon just took a step over the Dean and kissed him, "You're free, for now!"

She turned and left the bar.

Death turned back to the jukebox and started to skim through the selection.

Sam looked at her, "What are you?"

"Pissed off and actually sore at the moment." Death rubbed the place in her back, where the hound had tore into Didi for a second. She couldn't find the song she liked but she hit the thing andPoalo Nuiti's_ 'New Shoes'_ came on, she made a sound like Fonzie out of 'Happy Days' before wandering over to the bar with the body on it.

Didi's soul sat up and jumped off the bar, "I so didn't expect that, did you?"

"No!" Death said, facing the one-day embodiment of her spirit. "You had a good day?"

Didi nodded, "I had a couple of beers and actually think I was getting a handle on the pool thing?"

"Enough to beat Matthew and Barnabas?" Death asked.

"I don't know about that, but you should be able to pot a few before they run the table."

Death smiled, "Cool!"

"What you going to do now?" Didi asked, Death just shrugged as she took Didi's hand, "Don't know. Got a couple of hours to kill. You good?"

"Sure!" Didi said as she disappeared.

Death wandered over to the pool table and racked up the balls as the hunters just looked at her, "What is it?"

"What the fuck are you?" Sam asked cagily, not sure if he wanted to thank her or try to kill her.

"I just want learn how to play pool, nothing more alright." She looked into the space behind the bar, "And this is all your fault!"

"You wanted to learn. I just said a bar with a table would be a good idea. Either that or a convent," Desire said to his/her sister, "You could have let her take him."

"Dream and that bloody pool table." Death said.

"You could just give up?" Dream said as he appeared in the room.

All five hunters stood defensively as the three Endless stood at various points in the bar.

"What is this gang up on Death day!" she said in a slightly huffy tone.

"Death?" Ellen asked, "You're reapers?"

All three of them looked at her, until the one at the bar, the one with the cats eyes, which shimmered like gold, spoke pointing at the one by the pool table, "No, not reapers. That is Death."

Sam looked into the eyes of the girl at the pool table, they were black as coal but far from lifeless, they were like dark pools with twinkling lights that burned brightly. He felt himself sinking further into them, sailing past stars and galaxies as they died in magnificent blazes of glory.

"Sam!" Bobby grabbed Sam's arm as the boy began to fall.

"You're the Endless." Bobby said to the three individuals in the room.

"Only three of them." Dream said reassuringly, he walked over to Sam, "You're brother just got lucky, you'd better go."

Sam swallowed, as the raven descended onto the jukebox. "Hey boss, got a couple of messages for madam over there, Hell ain't happy!"

"Tough. Spoiled my day!" Death muttered.

"Wow they did didn't they." The raven stated, "Never seen her in a mood before."

Desire smiled, "Oh tell me what they want!"

Dream turned again to the hunters, "Haven't you got something to do?"

Sam and the others quickly moved to the door.

Dean looked over at the girl at the pool table as the other brushed past him.

"Don't thank me. You'll see me again. I want a rematch!" she said smiling before turning back to the table.

Sam started the Impala as his brother got in the car, "What now?"

Dean shook his head, "I have no idea."

He looked back towards the bar as Sam followed Bobby and Ellen's vehicles. "But I think I've got a pool game sometime in the future."

* * *

A/N As for the convent thing that Desire mentions - Got an Aunt who is a nun and who is dynamite at snooker. Don't ask me how!


End file.
